Horlicks and Armageddon (Brighton Fringe 7-15 May)

Horlicks and Armageddon (Brighton Fringe 7-15 May)

In a sub-basement deep below Brighton Town Hall, I’ll be using theremin, stories from the archives and my own automata to recall the lives of Britain’s self-styled nuclear survivalists. In the 1980s, while most of us lived in fear of Armageddon, this small band of enthusiasts prepared for nuclear war with relish, as though it was an extended, underground caravanning holiday.

This surprising, strangely moving and sometimes darkly funny show is based on rarely seen discoveries from the British archives. I’ll be accompanied on the night by actor Colin Uttley and by Hugo, our dilapidated, robotic ventriloquial sidekick who will be reading government announcements.

This show started as a 25 minute talk at the Catalyst Club, Brighton, and the Port Eliot Festival. It provoked a flood of memories and high emotion from audience members who grew up in the shadow of the bomb. That’s why I decided to create a full-length show for the Brighton Fringe, with music and automata. Nuclear missiles marked our lives, even though they remained in the silos – I’m hoping this show will get under the skin.